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Fury at Townshend Let-Off



The Sun speaks at:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003210937,00.html

Fury at Townshend let-off 
By MIKE SULLIVAN and IAN HEPBURN, Sun Crime Team

ROCK star Pete Townshend sparked fury yesterday after
Scotland Yard said he will NOT face charges over his
child porn shame. 

The Who guitarist escaped with a formal caution after
he admitted using his credit card to look at vile
images on the internet.

Townshend, 57  arrested in January  will go on the
sex offenders register for five years. His mugshot,
fingerprints and DNA will be logged.

But campaigners against child abuse were outraged at
the let off after the rocker went to a police station
at noon and agreed to the caution following a
four-month probe.

A spokesman for Phoenix Survivors, a group which
represents abuse victims, stormed: We are appalled at
the leniency of the punishment. He gave money to child
molesters, which doubtless paid for the next child
rape photo session.

It is pathetic and an insult to children who have
suffered.

The NSPCCs Jennifer Bernard said: People who pay to
access these sites are injecting cash into a criminal
and manipulative industry that sexually exploits and
seriously damages children.

Townshend  arrested as part of the Operation Ore
crackdown on internet perverts  refused to answer
questions last night at his #3million home in
Richmond, South West London.

But in a defiant statement he claimed the caution
meant police accepted his claim that he only looked at
the porn for research.

The rocker insisted: As I made clear at the outset, I
accessed the site because of my concern at the
shocking material readily available on the internet to
children as well as adults.

He added: The police have unconditionally accepted
that these were my motives in looking at this site and
that there was no other nefarious purpose, and as a
result they have decided not to charge me.

Townshend agreed to the caution at nearby Kingston
upon Thames police station. Operation Ore was launched
after US investigators gave detectives details of
Brits who had paid to access child porn on the web.

But by the time Townshend was arrested he had got rid
of the computer he used when he paid to access the
depraved images in 1999.

Townshend was offered yesterdays caution in return
for admitting the offence of inciting the distribution
of the paedophile images by payment.Police who seized
nine computers when they raided his home and offices
stressed he had co-operated fully.

Senior sources in the Met denied the star was given
preferential treatment because of his fame. But Bob
McLachlan  former head of Scotland Yards paedophile
unit  slammed the caution as totally inappropriate.

He said: Why is this rock star being given such
lenient treatment when he has accepted a caution and
therefore admits his guilt?

Townshend claims he only did it for research  a
common excuse used by paedophiles.


=====
-Brian in Atlanta
The Who This Month!
http://www.thewhothismonth.com

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